It’s 11:30 a.m. as I type this, and I’m sitting at one of the tables in the dining(?) section of the regional train I take to and from the city everyday. I have about 17 more minutes until I reach Kobenhavn H (the central station) so I thought I would share a bit about my daily commute in the midst of it.

All things considered, it takes one hour and six minutes for me to get from my home in Viby to DIS (calculated kindly by the Rejseplanen app). My train picks me up at the Viby Sjaelland St. station and the train ride itself is 36 minutes long to Copenhagen Central. I have to walk about 15 minutes to and from the stations on both sides.

I like my commute! When I leave my house at the proper time, i.e. don’t have to run for the train. I tend to struggle with time management, especially in the morning. It’s something I wanted to work on while I was abroad, as I get too comfortable at my home institution knowing that everything is a 5 minute walk away. If I leave a little late back home, I can still make it to most classes or events, and be in attendance for 98% for whatever it is. Whereas here, it’s a bit hit or miss: if I leave late for my train I have to run like a tyrannosaurus rex with a heavy coat and backpack giving me heat flash while I breathe ice cold air, and if I miss the train I’m supposed to take, the next one would get me to class for, maybe, the last 20 minutes. Both potential tragedies are great incentive for me to get myself together.

Anyway, when I do reach the train the ride is pretty nice. It gives me some down time before class for my mind to wake up, read anything I might need to, or even watch netflix with the complimentary wifi. While taking the train has put me in a pretty consistent routine, I can always choose what to do with my “free time” on the train. I’ve always liked trains, especially the ones with tables. They remind me of the non-linear-timed-indie-romcoms like 500 Days of Summer, Comet, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I feel so poetic when I can look out the window as I pass by foliage and towns I haven’t visited (though I technically could, thanks to my 18-zone commuter card). Generally, it’s a peaceful part of my day and nice way to begin and end the more demanding times on my schedule.

The walking might sound like a lot, but honestly I haven’t minded it much. I am a bit deprived of movement unless I go out of my way to do it back home. Which I should. The walking is a nice way to get my blood pumping and also gives time to reflect and relax. My walk to DIS is especially nice as I get to walk through the city and across the main square. The square is nice to walk into: you go from walking squeezed among a crowd of people on the sidewalks to this wide, open, cobblestoned space. On the outskirts, the buildings are all so unique and tall. It makes you feel small in a good way, and for me it’s the moment of my day I’m most thankful to be here.